Film storage unit



Sept. 9, 1958 s. PAvr-:LLE

FILM STORAGE UNIT Filed March 21, 1955 INVNTR SAMUEL PVELLE FILM STORAGE UNIT Application March 21, 1955, Serial No. 495,649

2 Claims. (ci. zzo- 97) This invention relates to a storage unit for a number of mounted photographic films wherein the position of a film of a particular description or class may be readily located for storage or removal.

it is an object of this invention to provide a convenient form of box to contain a limited number of mounted photographic lilms so that each may be readily removed or replaced individually.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a tray to contain a series of boxes each in a relatively fixed position therein for ready access and removal.

it is a further object of this invention to so construct the trays that they may be used as drawers in a cabinet.

.lt is a still further object of this invention to provide a self-aiming stack of several trays each containing a series of boxes, each such tray and associated boxes being so constructed and arranged as to form a unit that may be stacked and will retain alignment both vertically and laterally on stacking.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the general arrangement and construction of the several devices constituting the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- 1n:

Figure l is a perspective view of a plurality of the assembled units;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2 2 of the top unit of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar section on line 3 3 of this unit as shown in Fig. 1.

'in the particular form of device shown in the drawings, a series of boxes 10, shown more in detail in Fig. 2 are arranged in two rows lengthwise of the trays, each box being so constructed that it has a body portion 11 and a cover portion 12. These separable portions have cut away edges so that they will overlap, as shown at 13 in Fig. 2, and the cover 12 will be seated on and retained by the body portion. The interior dimensions of these boxes are approximately two inches wide by two inches high, so that they will retain the usual cardboard mounts for individual 35 millimeter photographic iilms. The boxes are wedge shaped, that is, the body portion has a bottom wall 14, and slightly inclined side walls 15, as shown in the right hand box in Fig. 2, and inclined end walls 16 as shown in the box in Fig. 3. The botto-m wall 14 is smaller than the opening of the box body portion at its top edge 13, and the body is tapered from the top edge to the bottom. The cover portion 12 is also tapered from the opening to the top thereof so that the box when assembled with its top, is largest at the line of intersection ot` the top outer edge of the bottom portion and the bottom outer edge of the top portion at their overlapping edges 13, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. These boxes being tapered in both directions from this line of intersection malte a closed tit along this line when placed within the tray.

The tray comprises a bottom rim 17, supporting a bot- 2,851,188 Patented Sept. 9, 1958 tom wall 1d, side walls 19 and end walls 20. The bottom wall 18 is spaced above the bottom rim or edge of the end and side walls, as shown in Fig. 2. The side walls and end walls 19 and 20 are iiared outwards from their point of Contact with the bottom wall 18, to the upper edges, where they are spaced slightly from the tapering sides of the boxes fitted therein, the lower edges of which boxes are also spaced from close contact with the lower surfaces or inner edges of these walls. These is a rib 21 running lengthwise midway of the bottom of the tray,l as shown in Fig. 1, and this rib has projections 22 there-4 on corresponding to similar projections 23 on the side walls of the tray to divide the bottom of the tray into box receiving compartments. The tapered or inclined side walls and the rib are of the right size to receive the box and hold it between the rib, the walls and the projections thereon, so that the box walls and the retaining part of the tray are parallel. The boxes contact each other at their line of maximum girth, which is the line of contact 13 between the body portion and the cover portion 13, as shown in Fig. 2. The top portions, as pointed out above are tapered away from this line, and the bottom of the tray has a hole 24 beneath each box so that a single box may be removed by being forced upward by pressure applied through this hole. As pointed out above, the bottom wall 18 of the tray meets the end and side walls intermediate the edges thereof, and the portion between the bottom edge of the side wall 1'7, shown in Fig. 2, and the bottom wall 18 is so tapered that it will receive and be parallel to the outer flange or rim of the box top. This will allow stacking of the lled trays as shown in Fig. l. The trays have side projections or flanges 25 at the top of their side walls which will allow the trays to be used as cabinet drawers and readily inserted in guides or trackways kcommonly found in tile cabinets, and the trays are supplied with a pull 26 on the front of each, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

Heretofore it has been the practice to mount photographic films in cardboard mounts so as to protect the tilm and to allow their insertion in a projector. This is particularly true of 35 millimeter color lilms that are cut up after having been developed and are returned in cardboard mounts measuring approximately 2 inches by 2 inches. The storage of these mounts has always presented a problem. The present invention has solved this problem by providing a series of boxes, each one holding a number of such mounts and a container for the boxes so constructed that the container and the boxes may be stacked one on the other or be inserted in a cabinet as drawers, without interfering with the removal and replacement of an individual mount at will.

While in describing the above embodiment of the invention a hlm of a certain size is used in this description, the boxes may be varied in size to receive lms of other sizes, and the invention is not limited to the embodiment shown herein but is defined by the scope of the subtended claims.

What l claim is: v

l. A storage unit comprising two trays, and a plurality of boxes, each tray having a bottom wall, upstanding end and side walls and depending end and side walls, each of said boxes including a body provided with end and side walls extending upwardly from the bottom wall and a cover having end and side walls extending downwardly from the top, the inner surfaces of the upwardly extending side and end walls of the tray and of the boxes diverging upwardly and being substantially parallel respectively, the inner surfaces of said downwardly extending end and side walls of the tray and the surfaces of the covers di verging downwardly and being substantially parallel to one another, respectively, one tray supporting said boxes in its bottom wall between its upstanding end and side j wallssand the second, tray having its bottom wall supported on the covers of said boxes and receiving the latter between its depending end and side walls.

2. A storage unit comprising a tray and a plurality of boxes of a given height disposed in said tray, said tray havingabottom walland side walls extending upwardly from. said bottom wall aV distanceless than the given height of said boxes, the inner surfaces of said side-walls beingiv upwardly divergent, laterally extending locating means disposed adjacent said bottom wall for positioning sadboxes onv the bottom wall of said tray, each of said boxes having side walls which extend outwardly from thezbottornto the top thereof, a plurality of covers, one

forfrtachof` saidboxes, fitting over the upper edges of said boxes, each` of said covers having a top surface and sides which-extend outwardly from top to bottom, a rim around said bottom wall and extending downwardly therefrom, the inner surface ofsaid rim being extended outwardly from top tobottorn at about thesatne `rate as References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,707,771 Richardson Apr. 2, 1929V 1,941,922 Worth Jan. 2, 1934 2,228,787 Snyder Jan. 14, 1941 2,501,570 Larsen Mar. 21, 1950 2,575,770 Roop Nov. 20, 1951 2,576,725 Schnelles Nov. 27, 1951 2,711,943 Jewell June 28, 1955 2,758,750 Stroop Aug. 14, 1956 

